At Solvitae we have considered that aging is key in the deterioration of endothelial function, although more than aging itself, they are the dysfunctions caused by the passage of time and exposure to external factors such as eating habits, our habits, accumulation of exposure to pollutants, toxins, etc.
We have rated our product Endothelyx® with the number “45” because we think that from that age on it can be considered that there are numerous reasons to objectively take care of yourself.
From the age of 45 we have reached a good moment from the point of view of personal development, but it is also true that we must begin to take care of ourselves with a little more dedication and pay more attention to our daily habits. It is necessary to supplement our diet with molecules that are beginning to be scarce in our body and we must do our part so that all the organs, tissues and cells of our body can perform their function properly.
With aging, cells begin to lose their ability to divide and reproduce, bones become more fragile, our muscle fibers shrink, muscles reduce their tone, weaken and lose strength. Melanocytes decrease and the thickness of the epidermis decreases, the number of neurons decreases and our immune system weakens and decomposes. Metabolism decreases and glucose tolerance decreases.
With age there is a thickening and stiffness of the valves. The aorta increases in thickness, becomes stiff and less elastic (connective tissue), producing a moderate increase in blood pressure and an overload on the heart.
Endothelial shear stress and blood flow affect the aortic wall through the inhibition of cytokines and adhesion molecules excreted by endothelial cells, causing the reduction of the inflammation process in the media and adventitia. This pathophysiological process results in alteration of elastic fibers, degradation of collagen fibers, and destruction of vascular smooth muscle cells. Consequently, the aortic wall is affected due to reduced thickness, decreased mechanical function, and cannot tolerate the impact of blood flow leading to aortic expansion. However, the prevention of aortic dilation is based on the prevention of endothelial dysregulation with drugs, the reduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and also the reduction of proinflammatory molecules and metalloproteinases (Endothelium in aortic aneurysm disease: new perspectives Eleftherios Spartalis et al; Curr Med Chem 2020).
Hypertension hardens the arterial walls, making them less flexible.
Sex hormones (estrogens) are protectors of atherosclerosis; women are more affected after menopause. Furthermore, they metabolized methione worse into cysteine, so their homocystine levels are higher.
Vegan can have decreased vitamin B12 levels and the homocysteine level is usually higher than that of the general population
Given that between 10% and 30% of the elderly have a poor absorption of vitamin B12, it is recommended that foods fortified with this vitamin be consumed from the age of 50 or supplements are administered (“Homocysteine as a cardiovascular risk factor “. X. Painted room; Lipid and arteriosclerosis unit. Internal medicine service. Bellvitge Hospital. Hospitalet de Llobregat. Barcelona).
Diabetes and insulin resistance cause a combination of endotelial dysfunction. Control of hyperglycemia thus remains the best way to improve endotelial function (“Endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus”; Hadi AR et al. Vascular Health and risk management 2007).
There is a considerable evidence that cigarette smoke can result in both morphological and biochemical disturbances to the endothelium. Free radical components of cigarette smoke may be responsible for the morphological and functional damage to endothelium. (“Cigarette smoking, endotelial injury and cardiovascular disease”; R, Michael Pittilo; International Journal of Experimental Pathology 2000).
On people with respiratory problems the vascular endothelium actively participates in inflammatory reactions. Tobacco is a determining factor in brochopulmonary problems. Contaminants such as benzopyrene, peroxides and others can cause direct damage to endothelial cells due to the expression of adhesion molecules on their surface and the intensification of lipid peroxidation.
In turn, oxidized lipoproteins in the tunica intima of the vessel work as attractants for chemotaxis of leukocytes and monocytes that start to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines in big amounts. These processes trigger systemic inflammatory response that leads to irreversible thickening of the vessel walls and deterioration of their mechanical properties. Chronic exposure to tobacco smoke and the products of combustion of tobacco leads to chronic system inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress, endothelialdysfunction and morpho-functional damage of target organs. Nowadays, the connection between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and some cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases has been well established. (“Smoking, respiratory diseases and endotelial dysfunction”; Vera Nevzorova et al. ; Intechopen 2018).
Prolonged emotional stress in young patients induces dysfunction of the endothelium of the vascular wall, excerbating the severity of clinical signs of disease and leading to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular pathology (“The role of prolonged stress and the functional state of the endothelium in the development of autonomic dystonia síndrome”; M.s Bulgakov et al.Neuroscience and behavioral Physiology 2017).
Endothelial function and specifically vasodilatory mechanisms related to nitric oxide are of key importance in maintaining vascular balance and in the prognosis of patients at risk or suffering from cardiovascular disorders.
Protects endothelial dysfunction caused by excessive oxidative stress as a consequence of genetic, metabolic and external factors.
Mediterranean Diet
There is consistent clinical evidence that a dietary pattern inspired by the principles of the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is associated with numerous health benefits (“Health Benefits of Mediterranean Diet” Daniela Martini; Nutrients 2019).
A Mediterranean-type diet has been shown to exert a preventive effect on cardiovascular disease. Better adherence to a MedDiet showed significant inverse associations with CVRF among women, and better lipid profiles and measures of adiposity “Adherence to an Energy-restricted Mediterranean Diet Score and Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the PREDIMED-Plus: A Cross- sectional Study ”; Ismael Álvarez-Álvarez et al. Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) 2019).
Fruits and vegetables are sources of flavonoids and polyphenols that many researchers and doctors associate with a great part of the MD benefits because of their high content of vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and flavonoids.
Not all the population has daily access to these molecules, sometimes because of lack of time and other times because of high prices of fruits and vegetables.
Compliance with these recommendations, dietary intake of flavonoids in general and other relating polyphenolic compounds is really modest. Epidemiological studies have shown that the habitual intake of flavonoids in the range of 20–40 mg/day is below requirements to establish unequivocally a preventive-dose relationship (Vogiatzoglou, A. et al. “Flavonoid Intake in European Adults (18 to 64 Years). PLoS ONE 2015. Estimated dietary intakes and sources of flavanols in the German population (German National Nutrition Survey II)”. Eur. J. Nutr. 2013).
A number of beneficial effects of the consumption of dietary flavonoids found in foods, such as cocoa, apples, tea, citrus fruits, and berries on high blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction have been reported, and these effects are thought to have a significant impact upon vascular health (Ponzo, V. et al. “Dietary flavonoid intake and cardiovascular risk: A population-based cohort study). J. Transl. Med. 2015”).
(Peterson, J.J.; “Associations between flavonoids and cardiovascular disease incidence or mortality in European and US populations”. Nutr. Rev. 2012)
(Rees, A. et al.; “The effects of Flavonoids on Cardiovascular Health: A Review of Human Intervention Trials and Implications for Cerebrovascular Function”. Nutrients 2018)
Flavonoids in particular are low-molecular-weight polyphenol molecules that display a broad range of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
The flavonoids include several subfamilies according to their degree of unsaturation and the degree of oxidation of the oxygenated heterocycle: flavanones, flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, flavanols and anthocyanidins.
Homocysteine levels
Homocysteine is an aminoacid that originates from the metabolism of methionine contained in dietary proteins in cysteine, which could be harmful to the arterial endothelium in high amounts. A lack of Vitamin B6 (basic cofactor in the conversion of methionine) and B12 can be one of the causes, among others.
Levels of homocysteine, which is harmful to the vascular system in higher concentrations, need to be monitored.
Too high homocysteine level represents a risk factor that can alter the vessel walls and promote inflammatory processes.
More than 80 prospective and retrospective studies support the hypothesis that excess plasma homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral disease (“Total plasma homocysteine and cardiovascular risk profile.” The Hordaland Homocysteine Study. JAMA 1995; 274: 1,526-1,533)